Manufacture of envelopes



Aug. 27, 1935.-

V. E. HEYWOOD MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES Filed March 29, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet l l/z'ncen BY q ATTORNEY fi eywood Aug, 27, 1935. v; E HEYWQOD 2,012,391

MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES Filed March 29, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Z/znceni 5. Heywood BY ATTORNEY 1935. v. E. HEYWOOD 2,012,391

MANUFACTURE OF ENVELOPES Filed March 29, 1932 SSheets-Sheet 3 13 W- Za 2a INVENTOR & W [/1710 71% 5.]legwood fir/M1 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1935 crisp rates -Afiiidl- OFFICE.

to United States Envelope Company,

Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Maine Application March 29, 1932, Serial No. 601,843 llClaims. (Cl. 93-61) The present invention relates to the manufacture of envelopes, particularly envelopes of the so-called clasp type, in which the sealing flap of each envelope is provided with a reinforcing patch, or stay, surrounding an opening for receiving the bendable tongues of a suitable metallic fastener, or clasp, carried by the rear wall of the envelope body.

The present invention contemplates the provision of related instrumentalities adapted by their cooperation to convert a supply of envelopes, a supply of metallic fasteners, a supply of stay material and a supply, of adhesive into finished clasp envelopes, each having a fastener attached thereto for cooperation with a completely gummed sealing flap on which the adhesive is applied, not only to the flap itself, but also to the stay. The production of clasp envelopes with completely gummed sealing flaps in accordance with the present invention is accomplished without delaying, or in any way interfering with, the operation of the envelope making. fastener attaching and stay applying instrumentalities, inasmuch as the gumming of the sealing flaps after the application of the stays thereto permits the drying of the sealing flaps to be carried on as the very last step in the manufacture of the envelopes. The above and other advantageous features of the invention, such as printing the envelopes coincidentally with gumming, will hereinafter more fully appear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the machine shown in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale along the line 3, 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of gumrning the sealing flaps.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the parts of Fig. 1 in side elevation.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring to the drawings, are illustrative of one embodiment of the invention, the mechanism for producing clasp envelopes consists generally of a horizontally moving belt conveyor l, the function of which is t-o transport envelopes '2 as delivered to the conveyor 8 from a suitable support 3; by rotating delivery wheels 4. As best shown in Fig. 2, the envelopes 2 are moved individually by the conveyor l with their sealing flaps 2a extended, and each envelope while in transit on the conveyor is arrested in its movement and shifted bodily at right angles to the conveyor by transfer mechanism indicated by the reference character 5. "The envelope 2 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 is shown as having been shifted bodily by the transfer 5 to a fastener attaching station at which it is operated upon by a plunger 6 carried by a reciprocatory head I, see Fig. l, the plunger 8 being adapted to apply a fastener S to the rear wall of the envelope body. The fasteners which are so applied to the envelopes 2 are carried in a magazine 9 in the form of flat metallic blanks 8a, and following the formation of attaching prongs 8b on each blank 80., as by the prong bending elements 9a, a chute it] extending from the magazine 9 to a point below the plunger 6 is adapted to convey the pron-god fasteners to the attaching station. During its travel through the chute it each fastener 8 is operated upon by a feeding device H, the function of which is to deliver the fasteners 3, one by one, to the attaching station, see Fig. 5, in timed relation with the delivery of envelopes 2 to the station by the transfer mechanism 5.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the head also carries a knife l2 adapted to sever a reinforcing patch it from a strip of stay material and apply it to the extended flap 2a of an envelope at substantially the same time as the application of a fastener 8 thereto, the stay material being "carried on a reel it, as shown in Fig. 1. As a patch, or stay 53, is so applied to the flap 2a, a punch it on which the knife 22 is adapted to telescope forms a central hole in the stay. The particular form of patch applying mechanism, together with the means for intermittently feeding the stay material, is more fully shown and described in Patent No. 965,252 issued to Swift on July 26, 1910, and

the mechanism for presenting the envelopes 2, one

by one, to the plunger 6 for the attachment of fastener blanks 8 thereto as delivered by the chute it is more fully shown and described in the copendi-ng application of Vincent E. Heywood and George A. Anderson, Serial No. 542,264 filed June 5, 1931. 7

After a fastener and a reinforcing stay have been respectively applied to the rear wall and the sealing flap of an envelope 2, the envelope is withdrawn from the fastener attaching station and is released by the transfer 5 as it reaches the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. The clasp envel-ope thereupon resumes its travel on the conveyor l for the performance of further opera tions thereon which result in complete gum-ming of the sealing flap 2a, including the stay l3, as well as suitably imprinting the bottom flap 2?), followed by drying of the adhesive and ink.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the right hand portion of the conveyor i is shown as terminating adjacent to a number of conveyor belts i8 having their top surfaces lying in the same plane as the top surface of the conveyor i. The conveyor l is therefore adapted to deliver the clasp envelopes to the belts it for further travel thereon, and each envelope 2 is adapted to be registered for gumming and printing upon its arrival at the belts it. To this end, a number of stop fingers H are mounted on a shaft i3 extending above the belts it with an arm 09 at one end of theshaft l3 cooperating with a cam 20 mounted on a shaft 2 i, see Fig. 2. The shaft 2! extends above the belts l6, and is driven by gearing Zia from a shaft 22 extending below the belts IE5 and connected through bevel gearing 22a to a countershaft 23. The shaft 23 is in turn driven from an extension of the driveshaft 2'?- of the fastener attaching mechanism through a chain 25, so that the stop fingers ll operate in timed relation with the de livery of clasp envelopes 2 by the conveyor 9.

The shaft 2! also carries a gumming roll 26 having a raised gum applying portion, or picker 2?, cooperating with the periphery of a gum supply roll 28. The roll 28 is rotatably mounted on a reservoir 29 containing a suitable adhesive in which the lower portion of the roll 28 runs, the roll 28 and a follower 36 being rotatably driven from the shaft 2i through gearing 3i in mesh with the gearing 2 la, see Fig. 2. The gumming roll 26 cooperates with a Wet roll 32 mounted on the shaft 22 above a reservoir 33 preferably containing water, and as theroll 32 rotates in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, its surface is substantially dried by a wiper 3 5 maintained against the surface of the roll 32.

Before an envelope with its extended sealing flap 211 provided with a reinforcing stay i3 is released by the transfer 5, the cam 29 lowers the stop fingers H to arrest the. envelope when it resumes travel on the conveyor I, the picker 2? then being in the full line position of Fig. 3. As the movement of the envelope is arrested, its bottom edge is engaged by a side gage 35 mounted on a rod 36 extending between the belts it, the rod 33 being longitudinally movable by an arm 36a bearing on a cam 37 mounted on the shaft 2! to cause the gage 35 to register the envelope. Continued rotation of the shaft 2! following the registration of an envelope by the lowered fingers ll, causes the picker-2i to pass over the gum supply roll 23, and at the instant that the stop fingers ii are raised by the cam 20, the extended flap 2a of the envelope is seized by the bite of the gummed picker 2i and the cooperating Wet roll 32, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Coincidentally with the engagement of the envelope flap by the picker 2?, the envelope body portion is engaged by segments 33a. having substantially the same length as the picker 2?, as measured on the periphery of spaced disks 38 mounted on the shaft 2i. One of the segments 33a is partially broken away in Fig. 3 to show the picker 2?, and each segment 35a cooperates with a disk 3% mounted on the lower shaft 22 and of substantially the same diameter as the wet roll 32. Therefore, as soon as the stop fingers ll are raised, the whole envelope 2 is moved bodily on the belt i6, and as the extended flap 20!. passes between the picker 2'! and the wet roll 32, a layer of adhesive is applied thereto. As indicated in the diagrammatic showing of Fig. 4, the width of the picker 2'! is such that it overlaps the edge of the fiap 2a, thereby applying the adhesive to the very outer edge or" the flap, and While this results in some adhesive being placed on the wet roll 32, the surface of the latter is cleared of adhesive by its movement through the Water in the reservoir 33. This cleaning of the wet roll 32 effectively prevents any adhesive being applied to the under surface of the extended envelope flap, any excess water on the wet roll being removed by the wiper As previously pointed out, the invention also contemplates printing the bottom flap 2b of each envelope coincidentally with the gunrning of the sealing flap 2a, and for this purpose, the shaft 2! also carries a printing wheel 59 carrying suitable type 39a around its periphery. As best shown in Fig. 2, the printing wheel 38 cooperates with inking rolls 4E3 driven from an extension of the shaft 28a of gum supply roll 28 through gearing 69a, the rolls 39 being adapted to apply ink to the type 39a on the wheel 39 in a manner usually employed in printing apparatus. As each envelope 2 travels on the belt i6 under the action of the gumming roll 25, the type 393a on the wheel'39 prints the desired subject matter on the bottom flap 2b of the envelope, as clearly indicated at the right in Fig. 2. The completely gummed and printed envelope then is conveyed by the belts it to a dryer, generally indicated by the reference character D in Figs. 1 and 2.

The dryer D comprises a conveyor chain ii passing around the sprocket wheels 42 rotatably supported at the ends of an upwardly extending frame 13. The shaft n of the lower sprocket wheel 42 is extended as shown in Fig. 2, and is driven from the gumming roll shaft 2i through a chain 35, counter shaft it and gearing Lil. Each link of the conveyor chain iii carries spaced arms 48 which as best shown in Fig. 2 extend outside of the belts it, with the ends of the belts i6 passing around separate rolls carried by brackets lea extending upwardly from the frame, see Fig. 1. The ratio of the gearing ll driving the shaft M is such that as an envelope 2 with freshly gurnmed seal flap 2a comes to rest with its leading edge engaging the chains M, a pair of arms d8 swinging upwardly from beneath the belts i i engage the envelope and lift it from the belts 56.

As shown in Fig. 1, as the chains ii travel upwardly, the completed envelopes accumulate thereon as they are lifted one by one from the belts l5, so that a very large number of envelopes with gummed sealing flaps are in the dryer at one time. After the envelopes reach the top of the dryer, the turning of the chains t! conveys them downwardly into a stacking device which receives the envelopes as they slide off the arms 28. Due to the inclination of the chains ll to the left as they pass downwardly between the spaced stationary guides 49, the envelopes are removed from the arms 428, the right hand guide 9 limiting the movement of the envelopes. As each envelope moves downwardly between the guides 49, it progressively slides further off of the arms 48 until finally entirely disengaged therefrom. In order to prevent the envelopes from jamming together as they leave the arms 38, the stacking device provides a number of spacing pins 59 mounted on a chain 55 driven from the shaft 34 by a sprocket chain 52, as indicated in dotted lines. The pins 56 on the chain 5! move downwardly along the guide 39 at substantially the same speed as the arms so that the envelopes are held separated as they slide oif the ,arms it. When the envelopes are finally released from the arms 48, they drop towards a stacking plateiit whichsupports them in stacked relation. p

In order to accommodate theaccumulation of the envelopes on the plate 53, the latter is carried by a nut 54% mounted on a threaded shaft 55. The shaft 55 is in turn driven from theshaft it through a chain and bevel gearing 51, so that as the envelopes accumulate on the plate 53, the latter moves downwardly to accommodate the growing height of the envelopes. When the desired number of completed envelopes with dried sealing naps has accumulated on the downwardly moving plate 53, the operator of the machine can readily remove the same without interfering with the delivery of other envelopes to the top of V the stack.

In order to return the stacking plate to its upper position for the accumulation of additional envelopes, a handle 58 is provided whereby the nut 4% may be disengaged from the threaded shaft 55. When the nut 54 is so released, the stacking plate is raised by means of a counter-weight 59 at the end of the chain to, with its other end connected to the plate 53. The chain Gil passes over a pulley 6i, so that as soon as the nut Ed is released from shaft 55 by operation of the handle 58, the Weight 59 Will raise the plate 53 until it engages a stop 62 at the upper end of the shaft 55. Release of the handle 58 will cause reengagement of the nut 53 with the shaft 55, so that the plate will start to move downwardly again as the envelopes accumulate thereon.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by the present invention there is provided improved mechanism for the economical production of clasp envelopes with completely gummed sealing flaps on which the adhesive is applied, not only to the flaps, but also the flap reinforcing stays. In the operation of this mechanism, the application of the gum to the previously stayed sealing flaps and the imprinting of the previously folded bottom flaps permits the drying of the gummed sealing flaps and of the inked bottom to be carried on as the very last step in the manufacture of the envelopes, without delaying or in any way interfering with the normal operation of the envelope making, fastener attaching and stay applying instrumentalities.

I claim:

1. The improvement in the manufacture of envelopes which comprises feeding envelopes separately from a supply, conveying each envelope edgewise in a given direction with its sealing flap extending, applying a fastener to the body of the envelope and subsequently applying an adhesive to the extended flap during the travel of said envelope in the same direction.

2. The improvement in the manufacture of envelopes which comprises feeding envelopes separately from a supply, conveying each envelope edgewise in a given direction with its sealing flap extended, applying a fastener to the body of the envelope and a reinforcing stay to the extended flap, applying an adhesive to the stayed flap during the travel of said envelope in the same direction, and subsequently drying said envelope While maintaining its stayed and gummed flap extended.

3. The improvement in the manufacture of envelopes which comprises feeding envelopes separately from a supply, conveying each envelope edgewise with its sealing flap extended and applying a fastener to the envelope body and an adhesive to the extended flap at different stations during the travel of said envelope.

4. The improvement in the manufacture of envelopes which comprises feeding envelopes separately from a supply, conveying each envelope edgewise with its sealing flap extended, arresting travel of each envelope, applying a fastener to the body of each envelope while its travel is arrested, resuming the travel of each envelope and applying an adhesive to the extended flap during said resumed travel.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for feeding envelopes separately from a supply, means for conveying each envelope edgewise with its sealing flap extended, means for removing the envelope from and for returning the envelope to the conveying means, and means for applying a fastener to the envelope while it is removed from the conveying means, of means for applying an adhesive to the extended flap of the envelope after its return to the conveying means and while said envelope is moving thereon.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for feeding envelopes separately from a supply, means for conveying each envelope edgewise with its sealing flap extended, means for removing the envelope from and for returning the envelope to the conveying means, and means for applying a fastener to the envelope while it is removed from the conveying means, of means for applying an adhesive to the extended flap of the envelope after its return to the conveying means and while said envelope is moving thereon, and means for changing the direction of movement of the envelopes with respect to said conveying means for the purpose of drying of the adhesive on the extended flap.

7. The improvement in the manufacture of envelopes, which consists in conveying an envelope edgewise in a given direction with its sealing flap extended, arresting the travel of said envelope, applying a reinforcing stay to the extended flap, resuming the travel of the envelope in the same direction and applying an adhesive to both the flap and the stay during said resumed travel.

8. The improvement in the manufacture of envelopes, which consists in conveying an envelope edgewise in a given direction with its sealing flap extended, arresting the travel of said envelope, applying a reinforcing stay to the extended flap, resuming the travel of the envelope in the same direction, applying adhesive to both the flap and the stay during said resumed travel, and finally in drying said envelope while conveying it in a different direction and maintaining its stayed and gurnmed flap extended.

9. The improvement in the manufacture of envelopes, which consists in conveying envelopes edgewise in spaced relation and in a given direction with their sealing fiaps extended, arresting travel of each envelope, applying a reinforcing stay to the extended flap of each arrested envelope, resuming travel of each envelope in the same direction and applying adhesive to both the flap and stay of each envelope during its resumed travel, the gumming of the stayed flap of one envelope taking place during the application of a stay to another envelope.

10. The improvement in the manufacture of envelopes, which consists in conveying envelopes edgewise in spaced relation and in a given direction with their sealing flaps extended, arresting travel of each envelope, applying a reinforcing stay to the extended fiap of each arrested envelope, resuming travel of each envelope in the same direction, applying adhesive to both the flap and stay of each envelope during said resumed travel and further conveying the envelopes in a different direction for drying their gummed flaps, the travel of the envelopes While drying occurring during the gumming and staying of the flaps of other envelopes.

11. The improvement in the manufacture of envelopes, which consists in conveying an envelope edgewise in a given direction with its sealing flap extended and its bottom flap closed, arresting travel of said envelope, applying a reinforcing stay to the extended flap, resuming travel of said envelope in the same direction, applying adhesive to both the flap and stay and also imprinting the said bottom fiap during said resumed travel.

VINCENT E. HEYWOOD. 

